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Simplified assessment method of natural resource damage from oil spill in Washington State of United States and the application of this method in Xiamen Bay of East China.

MA Li1, LU Zhi-qiang2**, WANG Cui1, LI Ji-peng2   

  1. (1Third Institute of Oceanography of the State Oceanic Administration, Xiamen 361005, Fujian, China; 2
    Fisheries College of Jimei University, Xiamen 361021, Fujian, China)
  • Online:2013-01-10 Published:2013-01-10

Abstract: Marine oil spill incidents are mostly small in size,  it is quite necessary to have a simplified method to assess the natural resource damage from such small oil spills in a manner of faster, less costly, and less information intensive. Based on the Washington State’s simplified oil spill compensation schedule method of the United States,  a modification was made in this paper, according to the characteristics of marine environment and the distribution of ecological sensitive targets in Xiamen Bay of China. The oil effects, including acute toxicity, mechanical injury and persistence, as well as the vulnerability of marine and estuarine habitats, birds, Chinese white dolphin, lancelet, shellfish, and recreation were determinate to evaluate the nature resource damages from the simulated small oil spill incident in Xiamen Bay. Suppose there was a spill of 2.4 m3 of Bunker C from a construction ship in eastern area of Xiamen Bay. Of the area covered by the spill, 90% was open water, 8% was marine intertidal exposed sandy beach, and 2% was marine subtidal sand. The calculated monetary damage from the spill was 93500 RMB, based on the oil effects scores and the habitat vulnerability scores.